Wild Sarasota: A Guide to Enjoying the Great Outdoors

Every season is the perfect season to get outside and enjoy the weather – thanks to Florida's year-round sunshine and temperate climate. The balmy breezes that waft in from the bayside, the estuaries that sparkle in the sunshine, the untamed wilderness of the wetlands and pinelands. It's true: the great outdoors of Florida's Gulf Coast is like no other place on Earth. 

From sport fishing, parasailing and horseback riding to mountain biking and backcountry treks deep into the heart of one of Florida's oldest and largest state parks, wild excitement awaits at every turn. Where will your sense of adventure lead you?

Get on the Water

Man-powered Crafts 

Kayaking SRQ offers both tours and rentals at two locations in Sarasota County. First, pick your mode of transportation: kayak or stand-up paddleboard. Then pick your location: mangrove tunnels at Lido Key or hidden beaches at Siesta Key. Further north, Happy Paddle Kayak Tours & EcoVentures offers serene island and mangrove forest excursions in various spots of Longboat Key. Either way, you'll probably spot some native birds, fish and maybe even a manatee or dolphin throughout your paddle adventure. For a bit more room to stretch and sightsee, hop aboard one of Key Sailing's yachts as the local captains set the sails for a breezy journey out to sea. 

Powered Crafts 

Prefer engines to paddles for your on-the-water recreation? Hydrocats is a unique option to board a two-seater Catamaran Speedboat for a thrilling ride across Sarasota Bay to a sandbar party or to one of our barrier island beaches. Alternatively, Siesta Key Watersports offers boat and jet ski rentals in the largest riding area in Siesta Key. For something more chill or group-inclusive, opt for one of its dolphin tours, sunset cruises, boat charters or parasailing rides. Sea Rocket Gulf Coast Parasail specializes in soaring high in the sky, so you can enjoy wonderful aerial views of our Gulf Coast shoreline and clear blue waters.

Charter Services 

Fishing fanatics flock to Florida's Gulf Coast for the thrill of the catch – and there's no one more savvy to the local waters than Sarasota's charter fishing boat captains. Whether you seek the thrill of big offshore game in the Gulf or fishing in the inland mangroves, you'll get hooked on Sarasota's waterways. CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key offers private inshore, spin fishing and fly fishing charters for anglers of all ages and skill levels. Guides on CB's excursions practice catch-and-release, but are happy to fillet fish for the angler if they would prefer to take their catch home to cook.

Take a Nature Eco-Tour

There's no better way to experience nature than to immerse oneself with the help of a knowledgeable guide. Sarasota County is home to scores of seasoned experts who are intimately familiar with the waterways, nature trails and animal inhabitants of the local wild.

Myakka Outdoors

Hop aboard Myakka Outdoor's tours to experience the most Florida modes of transportation. Take a pontoon boat tour through the upper Myakka River and learn about the diverse ecosystem. You're almost certain to see an alligator in the water or along the banks. To explore the Florida Dry Prairie, you'll want to hop aboard the tram, where you can spot native birds like sandhill cranes and burrowing owls. To go off the beaten path and explore the Myakke River State Park wetlands, it's swamp buggy time. This all-terrain vehicle will take you on a tour to remember through the backcountry. 

Wonderbound Adventures

If guided naturalist hikes are for you, Wonderbound Adventures is a great local eco-tour option, leading small-group treks across Sarasota’s wild spaces – from shady mangroves to remote pine flatwoods. Their certified guides share decades of local field experience and prioritize safety, accessibility and inclusive fun. Each outing emphasizes hands-on discovery: bird calls, native plant insights, bug spotting and sensory connection with Florida’s ecosystems. Bonus: Wonderbound follows Leave No Trace ethics, ensuring minimal environmental impact and advocating for the region’s biodiversity.

Sarasota Bay Explorers

Hop back on the water with Sarasota Bay Explorers, an ecotour company that offers sea life encounter cruises, guided kayak tours, nature safaris in covered boats and private charters that allow patrons to choose their own itinerary based on the group's interests. Sarasota Bay Explorers works in conjunction with Mote Marine Laboratory to offer comprehensive, hands-on, fun and educational marine science boat trips. Offering some of the most varied marine tours in the area, this is one of the best ways to experience the tremendous diversity of our waterways. From the salty Gulf waters to coastal grasslands, wetlands and tidal mangroves, there's a vast aquatic universe to explore.

Glide & Ride the Trails

Legacy Trail

Stretching 18.5 miles and connecting downtown Sarasota to Venice, the Legacy Trail is a beloved paved corridor slicing through pine flatwoods, wetlands and suburban landscapes. This accessible gem is ideal for casual cyclists, bladers and joggers – thanks to its smooth asphalt surface and frequent rest stops at trailheads like Culverhouse Nature Park, Osprey Junction and the Venice Train Depot. Whether you’re out for a peaceful sunrise ride or a longer cruise to Venice’s waterway parks, the Legacy Trail seamlessly blends natural serenity with local history and good old-fashioned exercise. 

Myakkahatchee Creek

For riders craving technical terrain, North Port’s mountain biking network – anchored by Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park and Myakkahatchee Creek Greenway – offers roughly 18 singletrack and dirt trails carved through shaded oak hammocks. Originally built by local enthusiasts, these twists and turns feature exposed roots, quick switchbacks and small drop-offs, providing a sharp contrast to Sarasota’s flat paved paths. The system caters to intermediate to advanced riders, though the creekside setting makes for a scenic and challenging ride. 

Gulf Coast Ponies

Set out on an equestrian journey with Gulf Coast Ponies, where every ride supports rescued horses. Based in Myakka City, this family-run operation leads guests (regardless of experience) on guided horseback trail rides through scenic spots like Deer Prairie Creek, Walton Ranch Preserve and Big Slough Preserve. Highlights include gentle water crossings and even beach rides in nearby areas, as horses refresh in saltwater (a therapeutic routine that riders adore). Whether you're a first-timer or seasoned rider, these off-the-beaten-path adventures blend wildlife, wetlands and coastal flats – all while giving back to the horses themselves.

Get Up Close to Florida Flora

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Fans of butterflies and botanicals will want to pay a visit to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, a 7-acre botanical garden on the bayside of downtown Sarasota, dedicated to the research of orchids, epiphytes and bromeliads. Selby Gardens also includes some of the world's premier collections of native and tropical plants, trees and mosses. In addition to its stunning botanical collections, Selby features a Children's Rainforest Garden with treetop exploration, an epiphyte canyon, a waterfall that mimics rainforest ecosystems and research stations to help plant the seed of botanical fascination in budding explorers, researchers and naturalists.

Historic Spanish Point

Historic Spanish Point's 30-acre environmental, archaeological and historical museum on Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey brings it all back to the beginning – before paved roads and high-rise hotels. The preserve details prehistoric regional history in its 'Window to the Past' exhibition – the only archaeological exhibition in the U.S. built inside a Native American shell mound. Sarasota County's pioneer history is preserved on the historic property grounds, which also features one of the largest butterfly gardens on the Gulf Coast, plus a jungle walk, an archaic midden, a lychee field and a sunken garden.

TreeUmph! Climbing Adventures

Change your perspective and experience Florida's landscape from a bird's eye view as you monkey your way through the treetops at TreeUmph!, an east Bradenton adventure course. The 14-acre adventure course is elevated to the tippy tops of Florida's native pine and live oak forests (so perhaps not for those afraid of heights). The course varies in difficulty, with levels for kids and adults that feature rope bridges and ladders, suspended logs, Tarzan swings, climbing walls and more – all culminating in a thrilling 60-foot-high, 650-foot-long zipline ride! 

The Sunshine Bottom Line: Get Outdoors!

Practically every day is a day in the sun in Sarasota, so take advantage of it – get outside and explore, experience and discover everything Florida's Gulf Coast has to offer. You've got quite a bit of adventuring to do, so we'll leave you with just one more word of advice:

Don't forget the sunscreen!